Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island

What Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island does

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1966 and headquartered at Rising Sun Mills in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the local Rhode Island affiliate of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and operates six core youth-mentoring programs: Community-Based Mentoring, Site-Based Mentoring, Big Couples, The Little Brotherhood (LBH), Real Skills for Young Adults (RSYA, ages 15-25), and Beyond School Walls. The organization serves youth ages 7-25 — predominantly those facing elevated Adverse Childhood Experiences — through professionally supervised one-to-one mentoring relationships supported by case management, scholarship funding (up to $10,000), emergency assistance, and family empowerment programming. In 2024 BBBSRI reported serving more than 250 youth and more than 2,500 Rhode Islanders with wrap-around services.

The organization's revenue model is anchored by a dual-structure design: the parent mentoring organization (BBBSRI) is paired with the Donation Center Foundation of Rhode Island, a separate 501(c)(3) social enterprise that accounts for 70% of BBBSRI's annual operating income. The Donation Center operates five physical drop-off locations (Middletown, Cranston, Johnston, Wakefield, Bristol), 117+ donation bins across Rhode Island, a fleet of six trucks making 750 weekly home pickups and visiting 35,000+ households annually, and a partnership with Savers Thrift Stores for resale of collected clothing and textiles. Remaining revenue comes from individual monthly giving (Big Believers, $20/month standard tier), corporate partnerships (Big Believers for Business, $100/month plus truck sponsorship), planned giving through the Rhode Island Foundation endowment, vehicle donations, grants (including United Way of Rhode Island), and signature fundraising events (Welcome to Summer, The Big Breakfast, Bowl for Kids' Sake). The organization employs 11-50 staff (with Jack Blatchford's 19-person team a major node) and is supported by a board drawn from Citizens Bank, Fidelity Investments, Cox Communications, Merrill Lynch, Farmers Insurance, and other Rhode Island enterprises.

BBBSRI markets via a community-led and event-driven go-to-market motion: digital channels (bigsri.org, eNewsletters, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube) sit at top of funnel, while signature events, virtual info sessions, brand-ambassador networks, and school/corporate partnerships drive mid-funnel enrollment of mentors and families. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its deliverable is human service delivery. Quantified outcomes materially exceed BBBSA national benchmarks — 100% mentee grade progression, 97% parent-reported mental-health improvement, 95% improved self-confidence, 96% avoidance of juvenile justice involvement, 86% annual retention versus 71% nationally, and 14% match closure versus 28% nationally — and BBBSRI has earned six consecutive PBN Best Places to Work awards (2019-2026) plus BBBSA Platinum (2023), Gold Standard (2022), and Impact (2024) national awards.

Name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island

Legal name

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island

Website

https://bigsri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BBBSRI is a Rhode Island 501(c)(3) nonprofit (founded 1966) providing one-to-one youth mentoring (ages 7-25) alongside the Donation Center Foundation, a textile-collection social enterprise that funds 70% of operations. It serves 250+ youth annually through six mentoring programs and operates five donation centers with 117+ statewide bins.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Mentoring Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• Youth mentoring services
• Nonprofit youth programs
• Community-based mentoring
• Textile donation recycling
• Social enterprise nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Cranston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Clothing and Textile Donations (Donation Center Foundation): The Donation Center Foundation of Rhode Island collects clothing, linens, and household goods through home pick-ups, drop-off centers, community bins, and clothing drives. These items are sold through partnership with Savers Thrift Stores. This social enterprise accounts for 70% of BBBSRI's annual operating income and also raises funds for 60+ charity partners in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
2. Individual Donations and Contributions: Direct financial donations from individuals through the Big Believers monthly giving program, one-time gifts, planned giving, and endowment contributions support mentoring programs.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants/Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and truck advertising partnerships provide funding. The Big Believers for Business program offers $100/month corporate partnerships with recognition benefits.
4. Vehicle Donations: Vehicle donation program allows donors to contribute cars, boats, or RVs to support youth mentoring relationships statewide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island provides professionally-supported one-to-one mentoring programs for youth ages 7-25 across multiple formats (community-based, site-based, couples-based, group-based, and career-readiness), paired with a clothing/textile Donation Center social enterprise that generates 70% of operating income by collecting and reselling used clothing, linens, and household goods in partnership with Savers Thrift Stores. Mentoring and youth services are provided free to families, while the Donation Center offers free home pickup and 5 retail drop-off locations plus 117+ donation bins across Rhode Island.

Product overview

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island (BBBSRI) operates as a dual-organization non-profit structure consisting of the youth mentoring organization and the Donation Center Foundation of Rhode Island (a social enterprise). The core mentoring programs include Community-Based Mentoring, Site-Based Mentoring, Big Couples, The Little Brotherhood (LBH), Real Skills for Young Adults (RSYA), and Beyond School Walls - each offering different formats for connecting adult volunteer Mentors with youth ages 7-25. The Donation Center social enterprise supports the mentoring programs by collecting and reselling donated clothing and household goods, contributing 70% of annual operating income. Additional revenue programs include Big Believers monthly giving, planned giving, truck sponsorship, vehicle donations, and clothing drive hosting partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Donation Center Foundation of Rhode Island: Social enterprise that collects donations of used clothing and household goods for resale to generate funds to support BBBSRI's mentoring programs
• Big Believers
• Little Brotherhood (LBH)
• Real Skills for Young Adults (RSYA)

Products and services

• Community-Based Mentoring Long-term one-to-one mentoring program pairing youth ages 7-14 with adult volunteer Mentors (at least 19 years old) who meet for 6-8 hours per month in the community, matched based on personality, common interests, and needs. Provided free to families.
• Site-Based Mentoring

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of Mentees progressed to next grade level (2024)
• +11 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Savers Thrift StorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Savers Thrift Stores allows BBBSRI to sell donated clothing and household goods through Savers locations, generating revenue that supports mentoring programs and enables the organization to serve more children and families.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing national standards, research support, brand framework, and program guidance. BBBSRI operates as a local affiliate under this umbrella.
• United Way of Rhode IslandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funding partner providing financial support for mentoring programs and community services.
• AmgenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner for Beyond School Walls program, hosting students in workplace for mentoring and career exploration activities.
• Alex and AnimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Alex and Ani (under Katje Afonseca's leadership) resulted in over $350,000 being raised for Big Brother Big Sister organizations across the USA.
• Rising Sun MillsminorOthersProperty owner providing headquarters space in Olneyville, Providence since late 2021.
• RI FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEndowment management partner for planned giving through the Rhode Island Foundation's endowment fund.
• SaverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey thrift store partnership enabling increased number of children and families served through clothing donation resale.
• Donation Center Foundation of Rhode IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate 501(c)3 organization with sole purpose of raising funds for BBBSRI and other nonprofit organizations through clothing collection and sales.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Year Up: National workforce development nonprofit serving young adults aged 18-30. Comparable through its RSYA-like career-readiness programming that competes for the same older-youth mentee demographic and corporate employer partnerships.
• City Year Providence: Rhode Island AmeriCorps site placing young adults as near-peer mentors in schools. Comparable as a peer operating school-based mentoring and near-peer mentorship programs targeting similar at-risk youth populations in Providence-area schools.
• Children's Friend (Providence, RI): Long-standing Rhode Island child and family services nonprofit. Comparable as a regional peer providing wraparound family services, case management, and youth/family support that intersects with BBBSRI's mentee family services.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts: Sibling BBBSA affiliate operating youth mentoring in eastern Massachusetts. Directly comparable as a peer affiliate running the same evidence-based 1:1 mentoring framework with similar donation, volunteer, and outcome reporting structures.
• Girls Inc. of Rhode Island: Rhode Island-based youth development nonprofit serving girls and youth. Directly comparable as a peer youth development organization competing for similar mentee families, volunteer mentors, foundation grants, and corporate sponsors in RI.
• Mentor Rhode Island: Rhode Island mentoring intermediary and affiliate of MENTOR National. Directly comparable as a same-state peer promoting quality mentoring practices, supporting program partners, and convening mentoring organizations across RI.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Rhode Island: Rhode Island-based nonprofit providing youth development programs for ages 5-18. Directly comparable as a local youth development peer competing for the same donor, volunteer, and corporate partner pool serving at-risk Rhode Island youth.

Broad incumbents

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: National parent organization and network operator for BBBSRI and ~230 other affiliates. Directly comparable as the umbrella body running the same youth mentoring mission, evidence-based framework, and brand standards that BBBSRI executes locally.
• United Way of Rhode Island: Major Rhode Island funder and convener of youth-serving nonprofits. Comparable as both a funding partner to BBBSRI and a peer organization aggregating corporate giving for community impact in the same donor ecosystem.

Others

• Savers (Value Village): National thrift operator and BBBSRI's commercial partner buying donated textiles from the Donation Center. Comparable as the strategic buyer enabling the social enterprise revenue model that funds 70% of BBBSRI's operating income.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX1wBg17NGqyA-kD3nboavQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/BBBSRhodeIsland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigbrothersbigsistersofri
• Instagraminstagram.com/bbbsrhodeisland
• Xx.com/bigbrobigsismt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Rhode Island